Jo Ann Chalal MD

Dr. Chalal graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology. She then entered the first Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Program at the University of Pennsylvania to complete her science courses for medical school application. Matriculating at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, she was in the St George Oncologic Medical Society for medical students which led her to complete two rotations the summer of her first year of medical school: both in Hem/Onc, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where she worked exclusively with two physicians in private practice. At the former Hahnemann University Medical School, she was on the Hem/Onc service in the hospital so rounded with a team of physicians on all types of oncology patients.

Although she didn’t know how to use a stethoscope at that time, she was called Dr. Chalal, regularly interacted with patients, performed her first bone marrow biopsy and also presented at a multidisciplinary tumor board attended by the chairs of Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Surgery, Radiology. This ultimately led her to pursue a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago. This was followed by a move to New York to pursue a Fellowship in Hem/Onc at NYU Medical Center. Her interest in Radiation Oncology led to a second residency in Radiation Oncology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. Triple boarded in Rad Onc, Medical Onc, and Internal Medicine, Dr. Chalal was on staff at Hahnemann University Hospital and served on the Medical School Admissions Committee. She then spent 17 years in Private Practice in a joint Radiology/Radiation Oncology practice where she became Chair of Radiation Oncology and a Partner. For the last ten years, Dr. Chalal has been an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, where she also intermittently provided clinical supervision and teaching to residents in Rad Onc. Her varied career provided experience in academic medicine as well as private practice.